TAT and Dida launch ‘Trusted Thailand’ in China to restore travel confidence | News
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Dida today announced a strategic partnership with the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI), selecting Dida as its lead digital distribution partner for the ‘Trusted Thailand’ initiative in the Chinese market.
The agreement was signed in Dusit Thani Bangkok by Ms Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of TAT, and Mr Daryl Lee, Group CEO of Dida Holdings.
A shared vision: healing is the new luxury
The partnership is rooted in TAT’s ‘New Thailand’ vision and its flagship campaign ‘Amazing Thailand’, focusing on the theme: ‘Unforgettable Experience: Healing is the New Luxury.’
Under this vision, Thailand is positioned not only as a destination, but also as a sanctuary, a place where travelers can regain balance, reconnect with purpose and return home inspired. TAT’s strategy rests on three pillars: strategic market expansion, digital innovation and the ‘Trusted Thailand’ initiative – a commitment to set a new gold standard for safety, quality and authenticity across the tourism ecosystem.
The TAT-Dida partnership aims to bring this vision to life in the Chinese market.
Winning travel decisions earlier in the trip
Today’s travel decisions are increasingly made before a traveler ever reaches a booking platform. Inspiration, intention and destination choice are now more likely to be shaped by social content, peer influence and digital discovery.
Combining TAT’s national tourism strategy with Dida’s demand intelligence and distribution capabilities through Xiaohongshu, Wechat and ecosystem partners such as Tencent and Huawei, the initiative aims to connect inspiration to books directly and at scale.
Building trust in a more sensitive travel environment
The partnership also reflects a shift in traveler behavior, with trust playing an increasingly central role in decision-making.
In a rapidly changing information environment, traveler sentiment can change quickly. The “Trusted Thailand” initiative addresses this by combining Thailand’s on-site security infrastructure, tourist police, a 24-hour multilingual hotline and real-time support systems with proactive communication and demand building in the Chinese market.
“True luxury is no longer defined by a price tag, but by experiences that nourish the soul,” said Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of TAT. “Through Trusted Thailand, we ensure that every visitor arrives not only with excitement, but also with confidence and the assurance that Thailand will deliver an unforgettable experience.”
Dida is making immediate investments to accelerate implementation
To ensure rapid implementation, Dida will launch a special ‘Trusted Thailand China Acceleration Program’. As part of this initiative, Dida has committed a minimum of RMB 2.5 million over the next 90 days, effective immediately, to drive demand generation, content development and experience-based product creation for Thailand in the Chinese market.
“This partnership is built on the foundation TAT has already laid and offers a genuine commitment to security, authenticity and experience,” said Daryl Lee, Group CEO of Dida Holdings. “In today’s market, travelers are deciding where they want to go long before they open a booking platform. Our role is to ensure Thailand is there at that earlier moment, when inspiration becomes intention. This is about turning trust into real demand.”
Setting a new benchmark for tourism growth
By aligning data-driven demand creation with TAT’s vision of sustainable, experiential tourism, the TAT-Dida partnership aims to establish a new model for how destinations interact with the modern traveler, one that attracts higher-value visitors, extends tourism benefits to emerging destinations across the Kingdom, and builds long-term traveler confidence that turns first-time visitors into loyal advocates for Thailand.
